Workforce Management

New Application Round for TechCred

A popular training reimbursement program among Ohio manufacturers, TechCred will open its next application round Monday, July 3. Applications will be accepted until 3 p.m. July 31. Businesses of all sizes are eligible for up to $30,000 per round and up to $180,000 per year. Get more details. 6/28/2023

WorkAdvance Gains Traction in Hancock County

As previously reported, the OMA is introducing the WorkAdvance program to manufacturers statewide via the network of OMA-endorsed industry sector partnerships (ISPs). The program seeks to put individuals on the fast track to a manufacturing career.

In the Findlay area, Raise the Bar Hancock County aims to use WorkAdvance train up to 70 people to be ready for entry-level manufacturing jobs and to upskill another 40 current employees for career growth. Watch and read this report by WTOL in Toledo on the work being done in Hancock County. 6/28/2023

Time to Start Planning Your MFG Day (or Month) Event

MFG Day, an annual event to promote manufacturing careers to a broad audience, is set for Friday, Oct. 6. For manufacturers interested in hosting their own MFG Day event, it’s time to start making plans. (Remember, events can be held any time in October, which is MFG Month.)

The Manufacturing Institute has compiled a variety of resources to help your company plan, produce, and amplify your event. Resources include recorded webinars, as well a host toolkit and marketing toolkit. 6/28/2023

WorkAdvance: A Tool to Grow Manufacturing Talent

To help grow Ohio’s manufacturing workforce, the OMA is introducing WorkAdvance to manufacturers statewide.

WorkAdvance is an innovative program to support talent acquisition strategies by boosting the skills of entry-level applicants and individuals belonging to populations that have been under-represented in the manufacturing sector.

Check out this WorkAdvance success story. Then get connected with your local OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership for help on expanding your talent pool. 6/21/2023

Unveiling Ohio’s EV Workforce Strategy

In Youngstown this week, OMA staff joined Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to announce Ohio’s Electric Vehicle Workforce Strategy.

Developed with OMA-endorsed industry sector partnerships, employers, and educational and training organizations, the plan seeks to establish a statewide EV industry sector partnership with regional implementation, while growing the talent pool for all manufacturing subsectors.

Lt. Gov. Husted noted that an estimated 25,000-plus jobs will be created across Ohio by 2030 due to EV-related activity. That would be a nearly 30% increase over the current automotive manufacturing workforce.

In this statement, OMA President Ryan Augsburger said the strategy will benefit all Ohio manufacturers. Read more in coverage from Hannah News Service, The Vindicator (Youngstown), and the Dayton Daily News. 6/13/2023

OMA Staff Tours Correctional Facility With Aim of Boosting Ohio’s Manufacturing Labor Pool

OMA staff and leaders from industry sector partnerships recently toured the manufacturing operations at Marion Correctional Institution — a minimum- and medium-security facility — to get a firsthand look at the training that occurs within Ohio’s corrections system to prepare individuals for success after incarceration.

The tour was part of the OMA’s Good Jobs Challenge grant activity, which seeks to address Ohio’s manufacturing workforce shortages by tapping traditionally overlooked populations.

Under an initiative of Ohio Penal Industries (OPI), incarcerated individuals have the ability to enter the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program, which equips them with industry-recognized credentials in areas such as machining, welding, and woodworking.

This map shows OPI’s statewide manufacturing footprint. If your business is interested in connecting with OPI regarding re-entry opportunities, email Ann King. 6/15/2023

Senate Budget Falls Short of Governor’s Workforce Funding Levels; Includes K-12 Reform

The Senate’s version of the state budget (House Bill 33) — as presented by the Senate Finance Committee this week — falls short of Gov. Mike DeWine’s suggested funding levels for multiple workforce initiatives. Among the Senate budget provisions of most concern for manufacturers are the following:

• Provides $200 million for career technical education: $100 million for facility upgrades and $100 million for equipment. (The governor recommended $200 million to build or expand facilities, plus $100 million for equipment.)
• Reduces the governor’s and House’s funding level of $7.5 million per fiscal year for industry sector partnership grants to $5 million per fiscal year.
• Fails to fund the governor’s WorkFORCE Ohio program, which would assess Ohio’s critical training needs.
• Provides half ($100 million) of the governor’s suggested funding for SUPER RAPIDS, which supports programs that collaborate with local workforce entities and higher education to train students and existing workers.

On a positive note, the Senate budget contains an OMA-supported plan (Senate Bill 1) to restructure the state’s K-12 oversight by placing additional focus on workforce readiness. The renamed Ohio Department of Education and Workforce would assume many duties of the state board of education. 6/8/2023

MVMC Introduces Middle School Students to Manufacturing

The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition (MVMC), an OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership, is partnering with educators to create a series of manufacturing curriculum lessons for area middle school students. Read this story.

The lessons were created with the help of the state’s industry sector partnership grant, an OMA-supported program. Students are introduced to Ohio’s manufacturing legacy, as well as the physical and mental skills required to have a career in the industry. 6/7/2023

Economist: Child Care Is Key to Drawing More Women to Labor Force

As job creation remains robust, businesses continue to ask: Where will the workers come from?

In his “Real Economy” blog, Joe Brusuelas, chief economist for OMA Connections Partner RSM, says women ages 25 to 54 are the most logical source for additional labor. However, child care challenges are limiting their availability, according to Brusuelas.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) in this editorial spotlights the DeWine-Husted administration’s recommendations to boost child care statewide. Ohio’s economy is suffering an estimated $3.9 billion per year in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue due to child care shortages, according to a recent study. 6/5/2023

AOMC Set to Unveil New Support Center in Marietta

The Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers’ Coalition (AOMC) — an OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership — is set to unveil its new manufacturing support center in Marietta on June 6.

The AOMC Manufacturing Support Center will aid area manufacturers by offering tailored training programs, while fostering technological innovation and providing additional resources. 6/1/2023